Hit police van when he had been drinking

A drink-driver was nearly three times the legal limit when his Vauxhall Vectra hit the back of a police van in a car park near Spalding Police Station.

Alvis Erdnanis (28). of London Road, Spalding, had gone to collect a woman who had left a nightclub and was frightened to walk home alone, magistrates heard.

We have no alternative but to disqualify you from driving today.

Magistrate Steve Burgess

Marie Stace, prosecuting, said a marked police van left the police station at 2.35am on April 4 and, as it moved onto The Green, officers saw Erdnanis drive into the nearby pet shop’s car park.

Miss Stace said the Vauxhall was on sidelights and the police van pulled in behind it.

But, as Erdnanis reversed out, his car collided with the rear offside of the police vehicle.

She said Erdnanis gave a positive breath test and an evidential test at the police station showed he had 97 microgrammes of alcohol in breath – the legal limit is 35mcgs.

Miss Stace said Erdnanis was interviewed by police and he explained he’d had a call from his sister’s friend asking for a lift because she had been to a nightclub that night and was afraid to walk home alone.

She said Erdnanis saw the police van and thought it was a normal length van but it turned out to be longer.

In his statement, Erdnanis said: “I didn’t see how long it was before I caught the vehicle bumper.”

He told police he’d had only two cans of beer that night.

Erdnanis told Boston magistrates on Wednesday he was sorry about what happened and he would lose his job because he needs to drive to pick up labels.

“My driving licence is very important to me,” he said.

But presiding magistrates Steve Burgess told him: “We have no alternative but to disqualify you from driving today.”

He was disqualified from driving for 24 months, fined £230 and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs with a £23 victim surcharge.

Erdnanis can cut 24 weeks off the ban if he completes a rehabilitation course.